Subaru Revives the WRX Wagon, but Not the One We Want

• Subaru will launch a WRX wagon in Australia soon with the same 271-hp engine as the sedan.

• Unfortunately it's available only with a CVT automatic and not with a manual transmission.

• We don't expect to see a WRX wagon like this in the U.S. anytime soon.

Subaru hasn't sold the WRX in wagon form on our shores for quite some time, but the bodystyle is making its return—at least in Australia. The new 2022 WRX will offer a Sportswagon model and is set to go on sale down under within the next few months. It's based on the Levorg wagon sold elsewhere but swaps out that model's less powerful turbo 1.8-liter flat-four for the same 271-hp 2.4-liter engine found in the WRX sedan, meaning it's a true WRX. Interestingly, the wagon version also does without much the sedan's black plastic cladding, making for a cleaner look.

But there's a catch.

While the sedan offers a six-speed manual transmission as standard equipment, the Sportswagon will only be offered with a continuously variable automatic transmission. Subaru does say it has improved the CVT's responsiveness with this new generation, but it definitely wouldn't be our first transmission choice for this all-wheel-drive performance machine.

We won't pine after the Australia-market WRX too much for now, but we can still look back fondly on previous versions of the WRX wagon that did offer manual transmissions. There was even a wagon version of the higher-performance WRX STI at one point. But sadly we don't expect Subaru to change its ways and offer a WRX wagon in the States anytime soon. Maybe if we ask nicely enough?

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